Cold Eyes, Cold Heart
by PrimaDonnaDevvi
Summary: Lisa flees to London after Jackson escapes from the hospital. But even there she isn't safe. Because a new man has entered her life. One who may bring Jackson Rippner along for the ride...
1. I'll Be Waiting for You

**Summary**

It's been two months since the red eye flight, and Lisa's life has almost returned to normal. But she soon finds herself fleeing for her life when Jackson escapes from the hospital. What she doesn't know is that there is a connection between her and Jackson's new target, a connection even Jackson doesn't suspect.

**Chapter One**

"Mr. Rippner, you have a visitor."

Jackson looked up at the nurse in surprise. He never had visitors. The only visitors he had had in the last two months were a police officer and a psychiatrist. And Lisa. But she didn't really count, because she had only stood in the hallway. He had only caught a glimpse of her when the door opened. He had felt more hatred for her in that moment than he had ever felt for anyone else. For her to have the nerve to come anywhere near him was unbearable.

"Who?" he asked, his voice raspy.

"A...Mr. Phillips?" she said, making it sound more like a question than anything.

"I don't know him," Jackson said.

"Well, he knows you," she said, "and he insists on seeing you. Should I let him in?"

Jackson thought a moment. "Go ahead," he said.

The nurse nodded and opened the door wider. Standing in the doorway was a man in his fifties. He had fair hair, and beginnings of wrinkles on his drawn, tired face, most of which was covered up by a large pair of glasses. He had a long overcoat on, and a large briefcase in one hand.

"Mr. Rippner," he said, a tone of amusement in his voice.

Jackson examined him. "You Mr. Phillips?" he asked.

The man nodded. "Ma'am, could you give us a moment?" he asked, turning to the nurse.

"Oh, of-of course," she said, sounding flustered. She hurried off, closing the door behind her.

Mr. Phillips smiled. "I swear they're getting younger every day," he said, still looking at the door. Then he turned to Jackson. "I've heard a lot about you, Rippner."

Jackson smirked. "Like what?"

"That you're one of the best assassins in the U.S. That you've taken out more men than a single man can count." Phillips smiled slyly. "That you got your ass kicked by a cute little hotel clerk."

Jackson groaned. "Thank you, I remember that well enough." He looked at Mr. Phillips. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Let me lay it out straight: I have a job for you."

Jackson motioned to the hospital room. "Not much I can do here, is there?"

Mr. Phillips chuckled. "No," he said, "but I could get you out of here, in exchange for one thing: Cooperation in an assassination."

Jackson pointed to the security camera. "I'd be careful what you say," he said, "because whatever it is, they'll hear it."

"I doubt it." Mr. Phillips took off his glasses. "If my associates have acted properly, every guard in this building is either dead or close enough."

Jackson's smirk vanished. "What is this about, Phillips?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, you see," Mr. Phillips said, a sly look on his face, "I'm kidnapping you, Mr. Rippner."

Jackson took a moment to grasp this information. Then, he smiled in realization: He was getting out of here.

And the first person to realize that would be Lisa Reisert.

---

"Are you _serious?_"

"Yes! He proposed to me last night! Can you believe it?"

"I didn't even know you were going out with someone! Why didn't you tell me?"

Lisa Reisert was talking on the phone with her good friend, Cynthia, who had just announced that she was getting married. She twisted a strand of her red hair on her finger excitedly.

"You know you're gonna be the maid of honor."

"Oh, please. I'd probably trip over myself going down the isle."

"Of course you wouldn't. I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Love ya!"

Lisa hung up the phone. She couldn't believe it. Cynthia was actually getting married! And she had even managed to keep it a secret from everyone else at work that she was dating someone. When Lisa had been going out with her first boyfriend, everyone knew about it before she had even hung up the phone, accepting their first date. Everyone at work was ridiculously involved in everyone else's lives. And here Cynthia was getting married to a guy no one at work knew about. Lucky girl.

Lisa nearly jumped when she heard the phone ring again. She looked at her caller ID. It was Cynthia again. Must be calling her with wedding plans. Rolling her eyes, Lisa picked up the phone.

"What's up?"

"Lisa," Cynthia said, sounding horrified, "turn on the TV."

"What-?"

"_Now!_"

"Okay, okay," she said. _Weirdo, _she thought, shaking her head and smiling. She turned on the TV.

To her shock and horror, the picture she saw on the television was of Jackson Rippner. She started to listen to the newswoman.

"...Mass killing at Kingsford Hospital believed to be connected to this man, Jackson Rippner, a patient and known criminal, who was missing when police arrived. Authorities have asked the people of Miami to assume that this man was involved in the mass murder, and that he is armed and dangerous. If you see this man, call police immediately. Now back to..."

Lisa turned off the TV, stunned. She sat down heavily on the couch, staring at the television screen. _No, _she thought, _he can't have escaped. _But deep down, she knew it was true. Of course he escaped. It was Jackson. If anyone could escape, it was him. But who had helped him?

The phone rang. Lisa jumped, then calmed herself down. _Only the phone, _she thought, feeling ridiculous. She checked her caller ID. The screen read "unknown caller." _Probably telemarketers, _she thought. She sat back on the couch and waited until they hang up. But they didn't. Finally her answering machine picked up.

"Hey, this is Lisa, I'm not here right now, so leave a message and I'll call you back. Bye!"

There was a "beep!" then silence. For a few seconds, no one said anything. Lisa was about to jump up and hit the 'delete' button, but then a voice:

"It's been a long time, Leese."

The voice made the hair on the back of Lisa's neck stand up. _It's him, _she thought, her insides shuddering. _He knows where I am._

"I'll be waiting for you."

The phone hung up. Lisa looked at the phone in horror.

He knew where she was.

Lisa leaned against the table, her hand to her head, and passed out.

_Hey there! Sorry the first chappy was a little rushed, but I'm working on two fics at the same time, so it's a bit difficult. I promise future chapters will be more detailed. I'll probably update tomorrow, and I PROMISE you, you will figure out where the story is going by chapter three, most likely. Anyway, loves to you people, and I will update as soon as possible. Bye!_


	2. Nothing is What it Seems

**Chapter Two**

"Miss Reisert," the officer said, looking impatient, "you have to tell us exactly what happened."

Lisa was sitting on the couch, her head still woozy. She had called the police right after waking up, but was starting to wish she hadn't. They were asking her so many questions that she wanted to bang her head against the nearest heavy object.

"I've already told you everything," she said, "Jackson called me, then I passed out." She narrowed her eyes at the officer. "I don't know how I can make it plainer."

The officer sighed. "I'm sorry for what you're going through," he said, "but there has to be more that you can tell us. What time did he call you, for instance?"

Lisa thought for a moment. Her phone was flashing the time when she had checked to see who was calling. It had said six…thirty-five? Yes, that was right.

"About six thirty-five, I think," she said.

"Alright," the officer started to get up.

"Wait!" Lisa said.

The officer turned around.

"The phone that Jackson was using…could you find it?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

The officer sighed. "We tracked the number to a phone booth near the hospital. He was long gone by the time anyone could get there."

Lisa's heart sank. "Thanks," she said quietly, and the officer turned and left. About ten seconds later, another man walked up to her, this one wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase.

"Miss Reisert?" the man asked.

Lisa looked up. "Yes?" she asked.

"My name is Charles Rutherford," he said, "I work with the CIA."

Lisa stood up and shook Charles's hand. "How do you do?"

"Fine, fine," the man said, sounding distracted. "I'll be brief. I've talked with the police, and we all agree that it would be best if you…well, leave the country for a while."

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked slowly.

"What I mean is, you're not safe here. And everyone agrees that it would be best for you to leave. At least until we can find Jackson, which we will, soon," he added, casting a worried glance at her. "It would be best for your well being if you were to…disappear for a while. Just until we get things sorted out."

Lisa looked at him. "Where would I go?"

Charles looked thoughtful. "Maybe somewhere like England, perhaps?" he suggested.

Lisa thought for a moment. Why not go to England? It was nice, she had always wanted to go, and hey, any chance to get as far away from Jackson Rippner was a-okay with her.

"I'd love to go," she said, smiling.

"Good." Charles shook her hand and drew out a ticket. "Here's your ticket to London," he pulled out some papers. "You're hotel information." He smiled at her. "I assume you have a passport?"

"Oh, yes…" she said. Then she looked at her ticket in confusion. "I leave tomorrow," she said. "But I promised my friend I would help her with her dinner party-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Reisert, but it must be this flight." Charles said, seeming for a moment…frantic?

"Why?" Lisa asked, truly curious.

Charles composed himself. "This is the best airfare we could find. It's the only time we could manage to get you a seat."

"Oh," Lisa said in disappointment. She would have to call Cynthia and explain.

"I suggest you get packing," Charles said. He shook her hand. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too," Lisa said.

Charles walked out of the door and out of sight. Lisa stared out after him, slightly confused. _Poor guy, _she thought, _must have a nervous problem or something._

She went to her room and started packing.

---

Jackson's cell phone rang. He answered it. "Yes?" he said, slightly impatient.

"Its set," the man over the phone said. "She's going."

"Good," Jackson said, and hung up the phone. He smiled with satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.

And best of all, Lisa didn't have a clue.

_Chapter two finished! Wow, that was a difficult chapter to write. I hope you enjoy it! My original statement that you would figure out what was going on by chapter three was, sadly, false. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until chapter…six…ish? to figure everything out. Chapter three to be up and running soon. Bye bye for now!_


	3. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

**Chapter Three**

Lisa left security, feeling slightly uncomfortable. _I can't believe I'm actually doing this, _she thought, then sighed. That was all she was thinking nowadays, why am I doing this, who am I doing this for. It was driving her up the wall.

It was all because of Jackson. If he hadn't gotten involved in her life, if he hadn't been so damn persistent, she wouldn't be having this problem. Everything she was doing, every moment she did anything, she was doing it to stay as far away from Jackson as possible.

Someone bumped into her. Alarmed, she turned around to see who it was, but she saw something else. Something worse.

Standing in a distant corner, a man was staring at her. He quickly turned around, but one thing about him stood out in Lisa's mind. His eyes. She had seen eyes as shockingly blue as that only once.

Jackson's.

She laughed at herself. _You are so stupid, Leese, _she told herself. _What are the chances that he would be in the same airport as you, and on the same flight?_

Still, she felt unnecessarily unnerved.

---

_Shit, shit, shit,_ was all that Jackson could think. How stupid could he be? She had almost spotted him! That couldn't happen again. Silently he retreated to the farthest corner of the room. From there, he watched her silently.

There was something about her that made Jackson feel strange. Not fear, necessarily. But a strange kind of...respect? Jackson couldn't name it. He had never felt this way before. Maybe because she had been the only one to defeat him.

_That has to be it, _he thought, smiling slightly. He resumed watching Lisa. He longed to hurt her, but he had to wait. He would make his move soon.

---

Lisa sat in her seat silently, waiting for the plane to start moving. Sitting in a plane brought back memories. Ones she didn't want to remember. She shook those thoughts out of her head. _Soon you'll be free, _she thought. _Soon even Jackson won't be able to find me. _She kept on telling herself that, but...

Despite her reassurances, her thoughts strayed to the strange man in the airport. How his eyes looked so much like Jackson's! She had just nearly forgotten about his chilling gaze, until that man...she couldn't think about it anymore. If she did, she might lose all of the reassurance she had given herself over the past two years. _That's impossible, _she told herself. _I lost all of my reassurance when Jackson made that call. _She would do anything to get him out of her mind.

Suddenly, realization struck her. She was not safe. She would never be safe until Jackson was dead. _I'll never be free, _she thought with dread. Finally, the Lisa that kept on saying she would be fine, that she could escape him: She was gone. A new Lisa took her place, a Lisa that realized that she had to do all she could just to survive. A Lisa that wished desperately to have the hope and faith that the old Lisa had had. A Lisa that realized that she never would.

A Lisa that now, after so many years, had the courage to do what was necessary.

_Okay, that was a sloppy chapter. Sorry, I stayed up until three this morning, so apologies if there are any confusing mistakes. It seems like Lisa is finally accepting that Jackson could be after her. Chapter four to be up soon, I've gotta do chores now (painful) so I gotta go. Update will be soon. Byes!_


	4. Dreamgirl

**Chapter Four**

Lisa grasped the armrest of her seat nervously. This was the last thing she wanted to do this. If there had been some magical way to just get to London without flying, she would have gladly taken it. She had been able to avoid anything to do with airplanes for two and a half months. It had been nowhere in her interest to fly again. Not after what had happened.

She silently leaned her chair back. All she needed right now was sleep...if she was lucky, maybe she could sleep for the entire flight...

_Lisa ran through the hallway, which was seemingly unending. Panicking, she tried the all the doors on both sides running down, but none of them would open. Before she knew what was happening, she had reached the end. There, standing before her, was the largest door she had ever seen._

_Without thinking, she opened the door. Unlike the other doors, this one would open easily, and although it was seemingly heavy, she found it to be lighter than anything she had felt before. She took a step inside. It was pitch black, except for a bright light at the end. She looked behind her._

_Before she knew what was happening, Lisa felt herself being shoved back into the hallway. Her back erupted in pain as she hit it against a doorknob. Tears trickling down her cheeks, she turned to see who had shoved her. A strong hand wrapped itself around her neck..._

"_You can't run from me forever, Leese," she heard Jackson's voice echo through the hall as she tried to breathe..._

"Miss? _Miss? _Are you alright?" Lisa heard a voice say sternly.

Lisa opened her eyes. Standing before her was a flight attendant, looking worried.

"You must have been having some nightmare there," the woman said. "You sounded like you were being murdered." The woman smiled. "Want some water?" she asked.

Lisa nodded. She gratefully accepted the bottle. "How far are we from London?" she asked.

"Only about an hour," the woman winked at her. "You get some rest."

"Okay," Lisa said, taking a drink as the woman walked down the isle. _So much for the sleeping idea, _she thought bitterly. That dream had been way too realistic. She could remember it clearer than any dream she had had before.

She sighed and leaned back. _Might as well stay awake for the rest of the flight, _she thought, looking out the window.

---

Jackson was shocked awake when he heard screaming in the cabin ahead of the one he was in. After a while, the screams died down. Jackson smiled. _That's going to be Lisa when I'm through with her, _he thought. He didn't care if it sounded cruel. She deserved it for what she did to him.

He didn't want to kill her. No, that would be too easy. He wanted to make her as miserable as she had made him. He wanted her to suffer. He had never felt so much hatred toward a person. With what he was feeling, he doubted he had ever felt hatred at all. He had certainly felt pity about his victims, but he had never hated them with the evident passion of his employers. Now he did. But no killing this time.

_No, _he thought, _there will be a death, but not Lisa's. _He looked at the picture of the man he was supposed to kill. The man didn't look like he would be dangerous, but Phillips had insisted he had an ironclad reason for killing him. He had refused to tell Jackson what it was, but Jackson knew it wasn't about revenge. He had realized in the short time he had been around Phillips that he wasn't that kind of man. He was the kind of man to get rid of a witness, however.

Jackson leaned back in his seat and smiled. His plan was going to work out perfectly...

---

Lisa flopped her bag down on the bed, looking around. It was a nice hotel. Very nice, actually. She sat down, feeling immensely tired. So much for the ten-hour nap. It was four in the afternoon, and she was too exhausted to even sightsee. She certainly had enough money. When she had gotten into the room, there was a credit card sitting on the desk. Attached to it was a note: _Here's money. Feel free to use it all you want. C._

Lisa had been thrilled. Her secret passion for years had been shopping. If only she wasn't so tired...she yawned and lay down on the bed. She could get about an hour of sleep. It would do her good.

No sooner had she fallen into the deep cushions of the bed when there was a knock on the door. Groaning, she pushed herself out of bed. _Can't ever get sleep, can I? _She thought as she shuffled over to the door.

"Yes?" she said after opening it.

In the doorway, a man with dirty blond hair and blue eyes and a huge smile was standing with a large box. "Got this delivery," he said, sounding amused. He was obviously British. His accent gave him away. "I have to say, hotel guests don't usually get these kinds of packages."

"Um, thanks," Lisa said, slightly embarrassed. _That's a great first thing to happen when you get to London, _she thought bitterly, _get embarrassed by a huge package in front of a cute English guy._

"Pretty light, though," he continued. "Pretty thing like you shouldn't have that much of a problem, I think."

"Yes, thank you," she said, slightly irritated. She didn't really like sexist comments. She was about to shut the door when the man stuck his foot in the door. Annoyed, Lisa opened it.

"Yes?" she asked impatiently.

The man's smile grew wider. "You gotta sign," he said, holding out a clipboard.

"Wha-? Oh!" she said, feeling foolish. She signed it quickly. "Um, bye," she said, and shut the door. _For God's sake, _she thought angrily, _can't I get my act together around guys? _She hadn't liked how sexist he seemed, but maybe she was being overly critical. At least she had a little more energy now.

She looked at the box. The delivery guy was right. It was really light. She tried to open it, but the top was sealed tightly. She got up and ran over to her bag, where she got the keys to unlock her suitcase. Silently she ran the key through the space between the two flaps, breaking the tape. She opened it, but all there was were little packing peanuts. She shuffled through them, trying to find anything, but there was nothing. Irritated, she got up and threw the box over into a corner. What was the matter with people?

She went over to the bed and threw herself on it. She was still tired, and although getting angry with the deliveryman had energized her a little bit, she had pretty much wasted it all throwing the box across the room. She snuggled into the covers and fell asleep almost immediately.

_Lisa tried her hardest to break free of Jackson's grasp, but she couldn't. Finally, he let go and walked back into the room, his footsteps echoing menacingly. Sobbing, Lisa got up and leaned against the door. In desperation, she tried to open it. Surprisingly, it opened easily. She looked inside. Standing in the doorway was the deliveryman with the large box._

"_You gotta sign," he said, smiling._

_---_

_Okay, since the last sentence was in italics, and my notes are always in italics, you might wanna know that this is, in fact, another note, and not part of the story. That was a bit of a long chapter. Well, longer than my chapters usually are, at least. Sorry I didn't update sooner, my computer was being stupid. Anyway, dreams about Jackson, huh? They do have significance in the story, and so does the empty box and, as fate may have it, the man who delivered it. That's it, I'm not saying any more. You'll have to wait for the next chapter, which, sadly, I won't be able to post for a while. Toodles for now!_


	5. Change of Plans

**Chapter Five**

Lisa walked down the street, hopelessly lost. Lisa felt like she could kick herself. How could she go wandering the streets of London without a map? It was ridiculous. And now she couldn't even find her way home. She looked at every available sign, hoping for a clue to where she should head, but to no avail. Frustrated, she leaned against the wall, feeling very much like smacking her head against it. She had been given this great opportunity, and now she was going to ruin it by getting lost and most likely starving to death.

Lisa looked at her watch. It read seven at night. She looked around, realizing how dark it was getting for the first time. _Guess I was too busy bitching about how lost I was, _she thought. She headed down the street, feeling uncomfortable. She had always been nervous being alone at night, even when she was younger. Now she would probably end up spending the night out on the street anyway, at least until there was someone around that she could ask for directions.

A couple of guys headed her way. She smiled politely.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping the men. They looked at her, clearly interested. It made her uneasy, but she continued. "I'm lost. Could you help me find out where-?"

"Would you look at that, mate," one of the men said to the other, grinning, "A little American lady lost on the streets? I'll be damned if she's little too." He smiled at Lisa, making her shudder.

"I'm sorry," she said, nervous now, "but I really need to find my hotel."

"And why, I'm wondering, should we tell you that?" the other one said.

Before Lisa could reply, she felt a hand on her back. "I'm sorry, is my cousin bothering you?" came a strange yet familiar voice.

The men looked immediately uneasy. "Er, sorry, mate," one of them said. "She was just asking for directions."

"Ah," said the man behind her, a tone of amusement in his voice. "I think I can take care from here, thank you."

"Uh, sure," the other man said. "C'mon, man, we better go," he whispered urgently to the other man, and together they walked quickly away.

Lisa turned around to see who was behind her. To her horror and embarrassment, she saw it was the man who had delivered the package earlier. He was smiling at her again.

"Do you normally go out by yourself at night?" he asked.

"Uh…" she said. _'Uh?' _she thought to herself, disgusted. "Sorry, I just…got lost," she said, glad for the darkness to cover her burning face.

"Well, I can remedy that," the man said, sticking out his hand. "Benigno Curtis," he said, then paused. "Ben, if you like," he added. "I hate my bloody name."

Lisa felt slightly more comfortable. She smiled back. "Lisa Reisert," she said, smiling.

"Oh," Ben said, smiling wider, "you're the cranky girl with the big box. I didn't recognize you in the dark."

Lisa felt suddenly defensive. "And you're the sexist delivery boy," she shot back.

Ben laughed. "I didn't mean to offend you," he said. "You need help getting home?" Lisa nodded. "Well, then, come with me," He started walking, and Lisa followed.

He turned to look at her. "So what brings you to England?" he asked smoothly.

Lisa hesitated. "I'm being hunted by a hit man," she said, grinning.

Ben laughed. "Well, most unfortunate for the hit man," he said. "You look like someone who can put up a fight."

Lisa smiled. "Oh believe me, I can," she said. She made a show of kicking a garbage can. Ben laughed. There was something about his laugh that made her feel so safe.

"I should be feeling nervous then, should I?" Ben said mischievously.

"You should if you try to make a move on me," she said. "Try talking to the last guy who did."

"Why do you say 'try?'"

"Well, if you wanna talk to his grave…"

They walked the rest of the way to the hotel talking and laughing. When they reached her door, Ben said, "I doubt you want to get lost again. Is it possible you're interested in a guide?"

Lisa was taken aback by this. "Well, actually, that would be great," she said.

"That's it, then," he took out a card. "Here's my number," Lisa looked at it. "And how about dinner tomorrow evening?"

Lisa nearly dropped the card. "Unless you have other plans," he added quickly.

"Um…" Lisa thought for a moment. Part of her brain was screaming, _Remember what happened last time! _But the other, larger half was saying, _Why not? He's harmless enough._

After debating a moment, Lisa said, "Why not?"

Ben smiled. "Seven it is," he said. Like a gentlemen, he took her hand and kissed it lightly, then walked away.

Lisa felt the place where his lips had touched her hand tingle. She rubbed it slightly, grinning. She felt like she could never frown again.

---

Jackson watched Lisa walking down the street with the man. He felt a sudden jolt of jealousy, but it was soon replaced with calm annoyance. This would be difficult if Lisa was getting involved with someone.

Suddenly Jackson realized something. He leaned forward in the car, looking not at Lisa, but at the man.

"Oh my God," Jackson breathed, out of not anger, but realization.

He quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed Phillips's number. He waited impatiently while it rang. Finally, he picked up.

"John Phillips," he said.

"John," Jackson said, smiling cruelly, "there's been a change of plan…"

_Wow, that was a fun chapter to write. I was pretty much smiling the entire time I was writing the Ben and Lisa part, because, well, it's kinda contagious. But then I frowned when I had to write Jackson's part, because I know what he's gonna do now. I know you may be thinking it's predictable, but, well, it's not. And it's cruel. Very, very cruel. Okay, gotta go, but update will be soon. Byes now! Devvi_


	6. Hopes and Dreams

**Chapter Six**

_Lisa found herself running down the hallway again. She felt panicky and uneasy in the narrow hall, like it was closing in on her. Finally, she reached the end door. Her mind screamed for her to leave it alone, but her body didn't feel the same way. She felt her hand close around the doorknob and open it._

_Nervously, she stepped inside, hoping she wouldn't run into Jackson again. Again, the room was pitch black except for the light in the distance. Taking a deep breath, she started walking._

_For what seemed like hours, all she did was walk. Starting to feel uncertainty build up inside her, she turned to look behind her. She saw that she could still see the light from the hallway she had entered. Then she turned around._

_She was standing in an airport. Confused, she looked behind her. It was still black, and she could see the light from the door. She turned around again and headed through the airport, looking around at the many shops. Finally, she reached the bar._

_For a moment she felt like the wind was knocked out of her. She saw herself, sitting with Jackson, laughing._

"_Jack Rippner...that was nice of your parents," she heard the Lisa in front of her say jokingly._

"_Yeah, I told them that too, just before I killed them," Jackson said, and they both laughed. Lisa realized that she was looking at her past self. Disgusted, she turned around, planning to head back…_

_Instead she found herself standing in the airplane. Flight 1019. She saw herself and Jackson yet again, but this time neither of them were laughing. She saw herself crying, while Jackson was explaining to the flight attendant._

"_It's been a hard week," he said, sounding and looking innocent but a familiar and cruel malice in his eyes. "A death in the family," he added, just in case he hadn't been convincing. Lisa stared at him. His face was foggy, yet his eyes were still clear in her mind, as if she had just seen them…_

_She turned around. This time she was in her house. She saw herself again, this time holding a hockey stick, looking around with a frightened look in her eye. Lisa watched herself in horror as she shut the door and there was Jackson…_

_She turned around again, not wanting to see any more. It took her a moment to realize she had shut her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Jackson, but this time was different. This time he was staring back._

"_Hello, Leese," he said, his voice mocking._

_Lisa stared at him, terrified. "Why am I seeing this?" she asked. "Why are you making me go through this again?"_

_Jackson shook his head. "It's not me making you see this," he said, scornful, "It's you. It's always been you."_

"_But why?" Lisa asked, her eyes brimming with tears._

"_Your mind is trying to tell you something," he said. "You need to look at the clues, Leese. You're trying to tell yourself something. Maybe it's time you listened." He smiled at her and walked away._

"_Wait!" Lisa yelled, but he kept on walking. She ran after him, but her image was fading into oblivion. All she could do was fall into darkness, a strange sound ringing in her ears…_

_---_

Lisa awoke to the sound of her doorbell ringing. She looked at her clock. Seven o'clock. _Oh, shit, _she thought, remembering her date with Ben. She got up quickly and ran to the door. She opened it. Ben stood in the doorway, looking confused.

"I _did _tell you it was tonight, didn't I?" he said

"Oh…I…I…" Lisa was mortified. _Goddamn time change, _she thought angrily. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I took a nap, I must have lost track of time."

"That's fine." Ben walked in and sat down on the bed. "I'll just wait for you to change," he added.

"Of…of course," Lisa said, grabbing her bag and rushing into the bathroom. _Why do you have such bad luck when it comes to guys? _she thought angrily. _The last guy I was interested in tried to kill me. _She put on her black skirt and white blouse. _Lucky my hair still looks acceptable, _she thought. She walked out, smiling.

"Where to?" she asked.

Ben smiled at her. "The Belvedere," he said, grinning.

Lisa looked at him suspiciously. "It sounds expensive," she said.

"It is," Ben said lightly. "C'mon, I have reservations, and I don't want to be late."

---

"And what will you have, miss?" the waitress asked Lisa kindly.

"Um…" Lisa stared at her menu, thinking hard. "Smoked salmon, please," she said, smiling.

"Alrighty, your food should be ready soon," the waitress smiled and left.

Lisa smiled at Ben. "So why this place?" she asked.

"It was nice," Ben said, grinning, "And I figured that I had better give my country a good name, if you know what I mean."

"So you were born and raised here?" Lisa asked.

"Actually, I was born in the states. My mum moved us over here when I was little."

"Oh," Lisa said. "So your parents are divorced?" she asked, almost regretting the question. She didn't want to seem like she was prying.

"Yep," Ben said. "My dad and brother still live over there."

Lisa stared at him, surprised. "You have a brother?" she asked.

"A twin," he replied, "but we don't look alike. He looks like our mum, but I look like our dad." Ben frowned. "At least, I think I do. I only have a picture of him from when he was in college."

"Wow," Lisa said, "A twin. Well," she said jokingly, "I guess I could understand why your mom only took you. She must have a hassle with only one of you."

Ben looked down. "My mum's dead," he said quietly.

"Oh." Lisa looked down as well, feeling ashamed.

Ben looked at her, smiling again. "Well, don't feel guilty," he said, "You had no idea. Most people don't know." His blue eyes filled with sadness. "I think I just talk about her like she's still alive. It wasn't that long ago, you know."

Lisa nodded, at a loss for words. _Poor guy, _she thought. "Do you keep in touch with your brother?" she asked.

"Nah," Ben said, looking solemn. "Dad couldn't pay for him, so he got moved to a foster home. Nobody from our family has seen him since." He sighed. "I guess it didn't matter, Dad didn't much like him anyway."

"Oh," Lisa said.

Ben looked up at her. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" he asked.

"No," Lisa said, "I'm an only child. A spoiled one, too," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Oh, really," Ben said, giving her a similar look. "Just how spoiled?"

"Well," she said, stirring her drink, "When I was little, I clogged up my dad's toilet with towels because he wouldn't buy me a Barbie doll that I wanted."

Ben pretended to look shocked. "You didn't," he said.

"I did," Lisa returned.

Ben shook his head, laughing. "You're a fun person, Lisa. I think I may get to liking you."

"Really?"

"Yep."

_Well, that was, again, a fun chapter to write. Lisa's dreams are very important, I'll tell you that right now. And don't think Jackson's gone for good, he'll be back, and he's up to no good. Early apologies if the sequences from the movie are wrong, I haven't seen the movie for a while. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll update soon. Buh-bye!_


	7. A Secret Past

**Chapter Seven**

Jackson looked at the Belvedere from a distance, his interest sparked. There was something about Ben and Lisa that confused him. He would have thought that Lisa would never fall for a guy. Not after what had happened to her, and especially not after being raped. But she was able to laugh and have a great time with Ben, of all people.

If she knew what he really was…

Jackson shook the thought out of his head. He couldn't think about that right now. His task was to observe the situation. That was what he was best at, anyway. He had done it for long enough when he had been watching Lisa for the first time. The only way he screwed up was when he actually got to talking with her. Jackson shuddered. As much as he wanted revenge, he had no interest in crossing paths with Lisa Reisert again. He rubbed his hand over his neck nervously.

He sat forward in the car and continued to watch. Anger coursed through him whenever they laughed. He wanted Lisa to be anything but happy. And Ben…well, he had special plans for him.

Both of them would regret ever being in Jackson Rippner's life.

---

Lisa laughed as she and Ben walked to her door. "That was the best night I've had in forever!" she exclaimed, giggling.

"Well," Ben said, grinning, "I'm always happy to take you again sometime."

Lisa smiled up at him. "I would like that," she said. She looked at him for a minute, then reached up and kissed him. After a while, they broke apart. Ben looked at her with a mixture of shock and happiness.

"Well…" Ben said, looking sheepish, "I'd be happy to do that again sometime, too."

Lisa laughed. "Good night," she said, then walked in and closed the door. She leaned against it, smiling dumbly. _That was wonderful, _she thought giddily. She had never felt like this about someone before. After one date, no less. Did this happen to normal people? She didn't really care. She threw her keys on the table, then fell on her bed, almost instantly falling asleep.

---

Ben climbed into his car, feeling like he could get in a car crash and not really care. He had gone out on a date with Lisa Reisert, the most amazing girl he had ever met. He stared at the entrance to the hotel, feeling crushed. There was so much he wished he could tell her. So much that he knew he couldn't. If only she could know…

He suddenly felt uneasy. Looking out the opposite window, he saw a silver car parked on the curb. Ben looked closer. Empty. He laughed at himself. _You're so paranoid, Ben, _he thought to himself.

Suddenly he felt a cold gun barrel at his head.

"Hello, Ben," a strangely familiar voice said.

Ben narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked angrily.

"Only to let you know I'm watching you," the man said cruelly. "You won't be safe anywhere you go. Neither will your little girlfriend in there." Ben felt terror gripped him. He meant Lisa. "If you want her to live, you'll do exactly as I say. Got it?"

Ben couldn't do this. But it was Lisa. She had to be safe.

"What do you want?" Ben asked for a while.

"You know what I want," the man said, and the weight of the gun left Ben's head. He heard the door open and close, but he was too shocked to even turn around to see who it was. When he did, he saw the car across the street was gone. Ben leaned against his seat, breathing hard. _My past is catching up with me, _he thought with horror, _just like he said it would…_

Ben felt deprived of hope. Could he ever live a normal life? Or would he keep running from the truth, running from what he did? He started the car, wishing he had a different life. Except one thing would be the same.

Lisa.

Thinking about her raised Ben's spirits temporarily, but they were dampened when he remembered the man's warning. _If you want her to live…_he couldn't bear having Lisa's life in danger.

Feeling more depressed than he ever had, he drove off, wishing harder than ever for his past to disappear.

_---_

_Okay, so it looks like Ben's not the smiley guy he was in the first few chapters. Was the man with the gun Jackson? Well, I'm not telling you that. Have Jackson and Ben encountered each other in the past? Well, I'm not telling you that, either. But Ben isn't a bad guy. I'll probably update tomorrow, but I can't update all next week because I'm on vacation. Bye!_


	8. I May Have to Steal You

**Chapter Eight**

_Lisa ran as fast as she could after Jackson._

_For some reason, even though he was only walking she couldn't catch up, no matter how hard she tried. She finally stopped, breathing heavily. _I can't catch up to him, _she thought._

"_You've got that right."_

_She turned around. Jackson was standing behind her._

"_You still haven't figured it out, have you?" he said. "Look at the facts, you know what it is, you just can't accept it."_

_Lisa stared at him. "Can you please tell me?" she pleaded quietly._

_Jackson shook his head. "This is a battle you'll have to fight," he said. "I'm only here to give you directions, and my directions are look at the facts. It's all there in front of you." He smiled at her, but it wasn't Jackson's smile. It was a kind smile. A smile she had seen before..._

"_You're figuring it out, aren't you?" Jackson asked quietly._

_Lisa shook her head. "I don't understand," she said hopelessly._

"_You do. You just can't accept it." Jackson looked at her, his cold eyes boring into her. "Maybe you've known since the first time you met him."_

_Lisa couldn't decipher what he was saying. "Who?" she asked._

"_Now that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself," Jackson said, the kind smile gone. He turned around and walked off, but this time Lisa didn't want to. She realized she didn't want to know what he was talking about._

_---_

Lisa woke silently, her head throbbing. _Migraine, _she thought, groaning. She got up and looked through her bag for aspirin. when she found it, she silently popped a pill in her mouth and swallowed. She walked over to the desk and grabbed her water bottle. She took a quick drink and sighed. _Why today of all days? _she thought sadly. She was supposed to meet Ben today for lunch. She would have to call him and call it off until next week.

Just as she was about to grab the phone, it rang, making her nearly cough the pill back up. Silently hoping it was Ben, she picked it up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Lisa...Lisa Reisert..."

Lisa looked at the phone. "Who is this?" she asked, confused.

"Lisa..." the voice said, "I've made a terrible...terrible mistake..."

The voice was familiar to Lisa. "Please tell me who you are," she said, more firmly this time.

"Lisa," the voice said, "you have to...have to get out of there. You have to-"

The voice cut off.

"Hello?" Lisa asked. No one answered. "Hello?" she asked again, but still no one answered. Uncomfortable, she put the phone down and sat on the bed. Who had that been? Why did they want her to leave? She was safe here. She winced as another wave of pain hit her. She rubbed her forehead, close to tears. She started to dial Ben's number, but pain hit her once again, and she dropped the phone. _I've never had it like this, _she thought, but her line of thought was shattered. She couldn't think straight.

Silently, she hit the floor, tears running down her cheeks. She tried to dial Ben's number again, but she couldn't remember it. "What's going on?" she said aloud, because she couldn't think without feeling as if a knife had just been lodged into her head. She silently started to call "911." _No, _she thought, _that's the American emergency number. _She had no idea what London's was.

Before she could think, her vision started to fade, and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

---

Lisa felt herself coming to by degrees. _What happened? _she thought. She rubbed her head, which, thankfully, didn't hurt as bad as it had earlier. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes in thought. _I've never had a migraine that bad before, _she thought. _Why today of all days? _She tried to stand up, but was too weak. She fell back on the ground, groaning.

Suddenly she looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time. She felt terror grip her when she realized where she was. Or where she _wasn't._

She wasn't in her hotel room.

Fear giving her the strength to move, she got up and looked around. She was in a small, dingy, one-room apartment. Her eyes traveled around. She could see two doors. She walked over to the first one and tried to open it. Locked. She went over to the second one, which opened. She saw it was a small bathroom. She closed the door, shaken. She went over to the only window in the room and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. Looking more closely, she saw that it was nailed shut. She leaned on the wall and slid down. She had to think carefully now. What had happened the night before? She had gone to dinner with Ben, then fallen asleep...

A wave of horror hit her. She remembered going to the bathroom right when the food had come. Ben would have had plenty of time to put something in it, maybe a drug or something. But why? Why would he do something like that?

Inside, she knew the answer. It had been obvious the entire time, just like the Jackson in her dreams had told her. Why hadn't she seen it before? It had all been staged, just so that Jackson could kill her. Ben had been working for Jackson the entire time.

_No, _Lisa thought. He couldn't be. He was too kind, too wonderful...but she realized that had been the point all along. Just so that Jackson could get his revenge. Just so that he could torture Lisa for what she had done to him.

Then she heard a voice, one that she had hoped never to hear again, one that she could never get out of her head, for the three months since she had heard it...

"Hello, Leese."

Standing in front of her, looking very much the same and as menacing as ever, was Jackson.

---

_Okaaaaay...remember when I said that Ben wasn't evil? Well, I may or may not have lied. I'm still trying to decide what's going on. I wrote this chapter just out of the blue, and I really hadn't planned for Lisa to encounter Jackson this soon. But it's happened, and I'm happy with this chapter, despite my brain screaming to rewrite it. Like I said in the last chapter, I probably won't be able to update until next week. Who was the man who called Lisa? You won't know for about a week. I think that's why I wrote the chapter the way I did, just to torture you all. So bye for now!_


	9. Close Encounters

**Chapter Nine**

NOTE: The following chapter goes between Ben's, Lisa's and Jackson's points of views. It also goes between different points of time. This might get confusing after a while, so just a heads up.

Ben watched his phone impatiently. _She was supposed to call me over an hour ago, _he thought. Secretly he was immensely worried. After what had happened last night, he felt he could safely assume that the man who had threatened him had taken Lisa. What was this all about?

He walked to the window and ruffled his hair. This was proving to be a very unpleasant month. Except for Lisa. But for all he knew, she could be dead, possibly worse. And Ben couldn't bear to think about that. _I can never get anything right, _he thought sadly. _Whenever something wonderful walks into my life, I go ahead and ruin it. _He turned away from the window. The last thing he needed was a view of the neighbor's.

Before he could think of anything else, he heard a scream pierce the air. Stunned, he turned around. The scream had come from the apartment across the street. _Impossible, _Ben thought, _no one's lived there for years. _But he could see clearly a man standing in the window. But he wasn't looking out the window. He was looking at something on the ground. Or some_one._

Ben stared. He could see the man talking, but he couldn't hear any evidence that there was someone else in there. Except for the scream. Ben watched at the man talked angrily to whoever was on the ground. Then he looked up.

For a moment, both Ben and the man seemed to be in a state of shock. _No bloody way, _Ben thought, feeling as if the walls were closing in. _He can't be here. _Ben watched the man in horror as recognition sunk in.

_Jackson Rippner._

Jackson seemed to get over his shock. He rushed away from the window. A moment later Ben saw him rush out the door of the building – and straight for Ben's apartment. Before he could think, Ben felt himself running out of his apartment, down the stairs, and out the back door. It was the only option he had, otherwise Jackson would find him. He ran down the street, but stopped. He had to see who was in the building Jackson was in.

Slowly, cautiously, he walked toward the door of the apartment, feeling a mix of fear of what he would find and dread of Jackson finding him.

---

Lisa stared at Jackson in shock.

"It can't be..." she said, her voice shaking.

"I'm afraid it can," Jackson said, sneering.

Lisa didn't know what to do. The man she had feared would find her for almost three months was standing directly in front of her. She noticed a scar on his throat, right where she had stabbed him. His voice was still raspy, although he was talking better than he had the last time she had seen him.

Before she knew what was happening, Jackson rushed at her, pinning her to the wall. Lisa was too weak to fight back, but she screamed until Jackson covered her mouth. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you can get out of this one, Leese," Jackson said menacingly. "There's nobody here who can help you." He let her slide to the floor, where she broke down sobbing. "You're pathetic," he said. "You know I've been following you for a while now, and I've noticed your little boyfriend." Lisa stared at him. "We've met before," he said, smiling horribly, "and the last thing I want is for either of you to get through this alive." He reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him. "I am going to kill every person you love or care about," he said, smile vanishing. "You're father, your little English friend, everyone. And then I'm going to kill you." Lisa stared at his eyes, cold and menacing, yet with deep pain and anger. "I want you to suffer the way you've made me suffer. I want you to-" he looked up suddenly. Lisa saw that his features filled with terror and anger. He stared out the window for the longest time, then suddenly rushed to the door. Before he left, he turned around in Lisa's direction.

"We'll talk again," he said, and rushed out.

---

Ben looked down yet another hallway, making sure the coast was clear. Then, silently, he started to open each of the doors. Every room was empty. _Not surprising, _he thought. The place was a wreck. Even worse than his house. _I have to find the room that Jackson was in._ He didn't know why he was bothering, he just had a feeling. The last thing he wanted was to encounter Jackson, but he knew he had no choice. He rushed down the hall, checking each door, but still finding them all empty.

Finally, he came to a door that was locked. _Please let this be the one, _he thought. Bracing himself, he kicked at the door. It gave easily. He rushed inside, but it was empty. The only evidence of life was the only window. It had been broken from the inside. He walked over to the window and looked out. He felt a strange sensation under his shoe. He looked under it.

It was blood.

Ben shuddered and looked out the window again. _The window was fine when I first went in, _he thought, _so whoever broke the window broke it recently. _He scanned the area below. He could see a chair lying on the ground, broken to pieces from a fall. So the person who had broken out had used a chair to do it. Clever. He continued scanning the floor ground until he saw a woman lying on the ground. Ben's jaw dropped.

It was Lisa.

---

Lisa stared at the door for a long time after Jackson left. _What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, _she thought. Her limbs would barely work, the window was nailed down, and the door was locked. She was trapped. She put her head in her hands, sobbing. _He has me, _she thought hopelessly. _There's nothing I can do. _She looked out the window again. She could see Jackson running across the street. She slid down. Jackson must have seen something. _Or something saw him._ Lisa looked out across the street. The window of the apartment across the street could easily see the window of the room Lisa was in.

Frustrated, Lisa banged her fist on the window. She gave out a sob when the glass gave, and her hand went through, getting badly cut. Lisa stared at the window, hope swelling up in her chest. She was about to hit the window again, but caught sight of her mangled hand in time. _Probably not a smart idea, _she thought. Blood was coming out of her hand at an alarming rate, dripping onto the floor. She looked around. Near the entrance of the apartment was a small wooden chair. Lisa crawled over to it and picked in up. It was fairly lightweight. She went over to the window and banged the window with the chair. This time the window shattered completely, spreading glass over the ground below. She looked around the outside wall, looking for footholds. There were many, but they were small. In her state, it would be difficult to scale the building.

Lisa breathed deeply and started to climb out the window. Already her head felt like it was spinning as she looked down at the ground. She was only two stories up, but it was still terrifying. She groaned slightly when she finally got out of the window, clinging to the windowsill. She looked below her for a foothold. She saw one, the windowsill of the apartment below her. She felt her bloody hand start to slip from its hold, but she squeezed tight, sending waves of pain up her arm. Choking back a sob, she put her foot on the sill and began to lower herself down.

She heard a crash from the apartment she had come from. In shock and terror at the thought that Jackson may have come back, her fingers slipped, and she felt herself falling.

She landed hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her. It hadn't been the longest fall, but it had been long enough. She felt as if her ribs were cutting into her insides. She felt her vision begin to go blurry. She suddenly saw someone stick their head out of the window. They withdrew for a moment, then looked out again. Lisa couldn't recognize him, but he then she knew he saw her, because he withdrew his head from the window and didn't return. If it was someone working for Jackson, she had to get out of there. Despite the immense pain, she stood up and started walking. Distantly she heard someone call "Lisa!" but she kept on going.

Strong, warm arms wrapped themselves around Lisa's waist.

"It's all right," she heard Ben's voice say. "You're safe now."

Lisa wanted to draw away. _You work for Jackson_, she wanted to say, but her mouth wouldn't obey her. Slowly, as Ben lifted her up into his arms, Lisa gave up the fight to stay conscious.

---

_So Ben and Jackson definitely know each other. You'll be a bit surprised by Ben's past, despite how predictable this story has been so far. Lisa's going to be going through hell over the next few chapters. I mean, more hell than she's been going through at the moment. I guess I updated sooner than I expected, but don't expect any more updates for a while. Bye for now!_


	10. Revelations, Part I

**Chapter Ten**

Lisa felt her eyes flutter open, head spinning. She sat up, rubbing her head in confusion and annoyance. _Where the hell am I now? _she thought impatiently. She concentrated hard on her surroundings. She was apparently in some sort of storeroom, with boxes piled on boxes. Lisa had no interest in knowing what was in them.

"So you're awake, then."

Lisa looked over. Ben was sitting next to her, an expression of fear and concern on his face. Lisa backed against the wall in fear.

"You…" she said, terrified.

Ben reached to touch her arm. "Lisa, calm down-"

"No!" She pulled away, tears threatening to break the surface. "You work for Jackson! You tricked me!" Ben just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "It was you, I know it…" she put her head between her knees, crying softly. She felt warm arms consume her, and she gave in, despite her mind screaming not to.

"Lisa," Ben said, embracing her, "whatever Jackson told you, I don't work for him. I never wanted to see him again."

Lisa looked up at him. "Again?" she said through her tears.

"Yeah," Ben said, his features darkening. "We've met before."

Lisa could tell just by looking at him that Ben hated Jackson as much as she did. She could trust him. Almost.

"How do you know him?" she asked suspiciously.

"Lisa-"

"Ben, please!" she said. "I need to know."

Ben sighed. "My relationship with him is…complicated."

"Well, uncomplicate it and tell me what the hell is going on," she said, eyes narrowing.

Ben looked at the floor and didn't answer. Lisa slapped him.

"How can I trust you if you can't even tell me why we share the same enemy?" she asked, eyes filling with tears once more.

Ben looked up at her, rubbing where she had slapped him. For a moment he said nothing. Then, "Lisa, I have only lied to you twice." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "One," he said, "I said I hadn't seen my brother recently. That's not true. I have." He shuddered. "Very recently."

"And?" Lisa said impatiently.

"And…" Ben paused, looking as if he might kill himself. "The first time we met." He stopped, anger clear in his eyes. Blue eyes. Cold eyes. Why did that bother Lisa so much?

"What about it?" Lisa asked slowly, almost afraid of his answer.

"I introduced myself as Benigno Curtis." He stopped again. "My last name isn't Curtis. It's…" his eyes were filled with hate and cold, and suddenly Lisa understood what had been nagging at her for the past week. She knew those eyes, she just hadn't recognized them, because they were filled with such kindness…

"Rippner," she said quietly, the puzzle pieces finally fitting.

"Yes," Ben looked at her, his eyes now clear and bright with tears. "Jackson Rippner is my brother."

---

_Sorry for taking so long to update. My vacation sucked, pretty much, so it wasn't worth it and now I feel like I could kick myself. Apologies also for such a short chapter. I'm having probably the worst case of writer's block at the moment, and it would be longer if I could stop being so tired all the time. Anyway, I am doing two stories now, so it might be harder to keep up the quality of the story so far. Again, writer's block. It sucks. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Will update soon!_


	11. Revelations, Part II

**Chapter Eleven**

Lisa stared at Ben in shock.

"You…" she paused, not sure what to say. "That's impossible," she finished quietly, unable to say anything else.

Ben laughed bitterly. "I wish," he said, glaring at the floor. "But its not, and he's coming after both of us, no matter what we do."

Lisa snapped out of her stunned silence. "Why does he want you dead?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ben said, but he looked away, an immediate sign that he was lying. Lisa narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes, you do," she said.

Ben sighed. "Yes," he said, "I do." He stood up and leaned against the wall, looking troubled. Then he looked at Lisa, who still hadn't taken her eyes off of him. "Like I said, it's complicated. And long." He put his head back. "Very long."

"We have time," Lisa said fiercely.

As if on cue, there was a bang from the far side of the building. Lisa and Ben both jumped, alarmed.

"Dammit," Ben said, grabbing Lisa's hand. "We have to get out of here. He's found us."

Lisa was too stunned to answer. Ben pulled her out of a door in the corner. Lisa blinked at the sudden sunlight, but she didn't have time to get used to it. Ben was running too fast. Lisa heard footsteps behind them. They were being followed.

"Lisa, hurry!" Ben said, even though there was no need. He was pulling Lisa along at an alarming speed, but Lisa did her best to keep up. She couldn't let Jackson get her, no matter what happened.

They ran through a dark alley, but Lisa could still hear footsteps running after them. Ben pulled her into a secluded corner, and the footsteps ran past, not seeing Lisa or Ben. Both of them gave a sigh of relief.

"Brilliant," Ben said, breathing heavily. "Bloody…brilliant."

Lisa looked at him, her eyes traveling to his. How could she have missed it? Ben and Jackson were so unalike, but their eyes…it was so obvious. She needed to think. Slowly, she slid down the wall, her head spinning. She felt Ben sit next to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Lisa," Ben said finally, "you have to promise me something."

"Yes?" Lisa said, her eyes closed with exhaustion.

Ben didn't speak for a moment. "Lisa, if Jackson finds us…" he allowed time for a heavy, labored breath, then continued. "If Jackson finds us, he's going to kill me." Lisa pulled away from him and looked at his face, the bright, charming features she had come to know when she had met him replaced with fear and uncertainty. Lisa felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks. "Whatever you do," Ben said softly, "Promise me you won't give in to him."

Lisa felt confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ben sighed. "I made a mistake, one I can never forgive myself for. Jackson is manipulative. He won't kill you, only because he wants to make you suffer." He paused again, then continued. "He made me do something…something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. No matter what, you can't believe what he says." He put a hand on her cheek, gently rubbing away her tears. "I love you, Lisa," he said, his voice shaky. "Even if I die, you have to promise me. Please." Lisa leaned into him again.

"I promise," she said. They sat together, not saying word, for the entire night.

---

"This isn't working."

Jackson looked up at John Phillips, who was looking back at him impatiently.

"We'll find them, John," Jackson said. "They couldn't have gotten that far."

Phillips looked at Jackson with a bitterness that made Jackson shudder. "Have you even considered that you didn't check everywhere thoroughly? Maybe you should check again." Phillips opened the door and left the car, but turned around, glaring at Jackson. "I want the girl alive," he said threateningly. "I know you would much rather see her dead, but I need her." He smiled menacingly at Jackson, holding his gaze. "Do what you want with the other one." Then he walked off.

Jackson looked out the opposite window. Check again…just what he wanted to do. All he wanted was to see Lisa and Ben six feet under.

He smiled at the thought. Soon, the two people he hated would be dead. It would be worth everything he had been through to see it.

He started the car and drove down the road, looking for any sign of them.

---

"We have to go."

Lisa looked at Ben, wishing she could just stay, but knowing she couldn't. Groaning, she got up, leaning against the wall for support.

"How long have I been out?" Lisa asked.

"About three hours," Ben said. "It's eleven o'clock."

Lisa looked at him, smiling slightly. For some reason, she felt much better than she had earlier. He smiled back, though a bit forced.

"Where are we going?" Lisa said, rubbing her hands together.

Ben looked down at his feet. "I have no idea," he admitted sheepishly. "My best bet would be to get out of the country, period."

Lisa stared at him. "Where would we go?" she asked.

"Scotland, back to America, if necessary," he winked at her knowingly. "Anywhere. Anywhere you want. Just to disappear."

Something about what he said seemed so familiar to Lisa. Suddenly, a memory of the talk she had with Charles Rutherford, the man from the CIA, he had said the exact same thing. Why did that bother her?

Suddenly, the pieces pulled themselves together. Lisa groaned, her head starting to spin.

"Lisa?" Ben looked at her, concerned. "Lisa, what's wrong?"

"Uh…" how could she explain it to him? She hardly understood it. "I think it was Jackson that brought me here."

"What?"

"Well," Lisa said, realizing she hadn't said that right, "not really brought me here. But he's the reason I'm here."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked evenly.

"This man came to my house the day that Jackson escaped from the hospital," she said shakily. "He claimed to be CIA. He suggested I came here, so that it would be harder for him to find me." She shook her head in disbelief. The call she had gotten a few days ago had been from Charles Rutherford. He had been blackmailed into convincing Lisa to come to London. Everything was falling into place, Charles's insistence that she leave that day, Jackson finding her so soon, everything.

Ben had figured it out too. "This was planned," he said, his face filling with fear. "The package was a pawn to get us to meet. Everything that happened between us was an act." He put his head in his hands, frustrated. "You shouldn't have come here."

"And yet, she did. Pity how things don't work out the way they were meant to, isn't it?"

Ben and Lisa spun around. Jackson was standing in front of them, three or four men standing behind him, all armed.

"You really are predictable," he said, shaking his head sadly. "I could have found you blindfolded."

Ben put a protective arm around Lisa, eyes narrowed.

"It's been a long time," he said hatefully.

"Actually," Jackson said, "it hasn't been that long at all. Remember that little conversation in the car?"

Lisa looked up at Ben. "What's he talking about?" she asked, puzzled.

"It's complicated," Ben said, not taking his eyes off Jackson.

Jackson shook his head, smiling. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," he said, and took the gun from one of the men. He pointed it squarely at Ben's chest.

"Been good knowing you," he said, and pulled the trigger.

Lisa screamed as the bullet lodged itself in Ben's chest. He stumbled backward, hitting the wall. Jackson turned to her, smiling darkly.

"As for you…" someone came up behind her, grabbing her arms and holding her tight. Lisa screamed, struggling against whoever was holding her.

"You could make this easy, you know," he said mockingly. "There's no way to get out of this one." He pulled a needle out of his jacket. Lisa struggled even harder, but Jackson just laughed.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said. "I still need you."

He walked over to her. Despite her exhaustion, Lisa kept on fighting until Jackson was directly in front of her. He grabbed her by the chin, staring at her silently.

"Don't be afraid, Leese," he said, and stuck the needle in her arm. Lisa felt dizziness sweep over her.

"Sweet dreams," was the last thing Lisa heard him say before slipping into unconsciousness.

---

Ben watched Jackson go, taking Lisa with him. _Dammit, _he thought silently. Jackson had Lisa, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He looked down at where Jackson had shot him. He clearly had been aiming for his heart, but he had missed. By a lot. _Lucky, lucky, _Ben thought over and over. The wound was nowhere near fatal. It was best if Jackson thought it was. He waited until Jackson was out of sight until he stood up, grunting in pain. The injury wasn't fatal, but it was painful.

He walked down the alley, leaning against the wall. Once or twice he stopped, groaning in pain. Finally, he stopped. He was losing too much blood.

_I can't do this, _he thought, slipping to the ground.

_Forgive me, Lisa,_ he thought, his head spinning as his vision faded into nothing.

---

_End of THAT chapter. That was the best I could do, I'm sorry to say. I'm not really happy with it, but maybe that's just the critical author's eye. Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter, so I will update soon! Ta ta for now!_


	12. Deja'vu

**Chapter Twelve**

_Lisa was lying on the ground._

"_Get up."_

_No, I don't want to, she thought. She felt a hand wrap around her arm, pulling her up. Jackson was standing in front of her. "You're running out of time," he said. "He has you. You have to make your move, and fast."_

"_But…" Lisa didn't know what he was talking about. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked._

_She suddenly became aware of a gun in her hand. She looked at it, unsure of what it meant._

"_Use it."_

_She looked at Jackson, who was smiling at her warmly. "You know what you have to do."_

_I do, she thought, realizing what he meant. He wanted her to shoot him._

"_I can't," she said, wanting to drop the gun, but couldn't._

"_You can," Jackson said. "You are afraid. You can't be afraid anymore, Lisa."_

"_But-"_

"_The only way to get rid of your fear is to destroy it," he said. "Now destroy it." He stood directly in front of her, his eyes cold and unafraid, just like they always had been._

_Lisa pointed the gun at him._

"_I can't do this," she said, then pulled the trigger._

_She realized that her eyes were closed, afraid of what she was going to see, she opened them slowly, as if giving whatever was there time to disappear._

_Jackson was gone. Gone forever._

_Lisa was ready._

_---_

Lisa opened her eyes, feeling a soft cushion on her cheek. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her eyes. _Where am I? _she thought, observing her surroundings. She saw where she was, she just couldn't make out what it meant. Her head felt fuzzy.

"Ma'am?" she heard a voice, and she looked up. A woman with short brown hair was standing in front of her, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Um…yes?" Lisa said, sitting up.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Lisa stared at her for a moment, horror growing as she realized where she was. "No…no thank you," Lisa said, trying to sound calm, but alarm must have shown in her voice because the woman asked, "Is something wrong?"

Lisa was about to answer when someone answered for her.

"She's just fine, just a little bit scared of flying," the man next to her said, making Lisa's confusion evaporate into cold, hard hatred as she realized who it was.

"Ah, I see," the woman said, smiling, although it was force. "Just holler if you need anything." She rolled her trolley to the next seat, saying, "Would you like something to drink?" Lisa looked at Jackson, hiding her distress and trying to look calm.

"Is this supposed to be funny, Jackson?" she said angrily.

"Well, it was necessary," he said, smiling harshly at her. "To be perfectly honest, I would have preferred to have taken some other form of transportation, but this was the fastest and easiest way."

Lisa glared at him, then turned away. She looked around the airplane, watching the people around her, annoyed people, happy people, sad people. But no frightened people. She was the only one on the plane who was truly terrified.

"So where are we going?" she asked, not losing the malice in her voice.

Jackson glared at her. "I believe that would be telling," he said, then turned and gazed out the window.

"What could you possibly lose by telling me where we're going?" Lisa said, frustrated.

Jackson rolled his eyes in annoyance. "If you have to know," he said, "We're going to Miami."

Lisa was skeptical. She knew he was eager for revenge – he had made that clear when he had held her captive before – but she knew he wasn't stupid enough to go back to the place where he was being searched for. And why would he lure her all the way to London if he were just going to bring her back? It didn't make any sense.

"Why?" she asked, ignoring the doubt that was nagging at her.

Jackson looked at her, irritation showing in his cold eyes. "Don't worry about that, Leese," he said. "I want to surprise you." He turned back to the window. Lisa stared at him, trying to find any truth behind what he was saying. It was difficult. His hatred covered up any lies he had just told her.

Lisa turned away from him, closing her eyes. She needed to get away from him.

But how?

---

After a few minutes, Jackson looked at Lisa. She was asleep. Edging his way around her legs, he walked down the isle, toward his associate's seat. He leaned to talk to him.

"It's all set," Jackson said. "She doesn't suspect a thing."

The man looked at him, then back at Lisa's sleeping figure. "You mean she doesn't remember-?"

"That's right," Jackson said, menace showing in his eyes. "I told her we're taking her to Miami."

The man laughed. "You have to feel sorry for the kid," he said, shaking his head, amused.

Jackson's smile vanished. "I don't."

---

Ben felt himself being shaken awake. He gasped in pain as he felt something being ripped out of his skin. Opening his eyes warily, he looked around cautiously. He was in a hospital room. Someone must have found him. He then looked at the intruder.

A tall man with short, brown hair was taking out the IV's that were stuck in his arm. Ben looked at him in confusion. "Who the hell are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"That's not important right now." The man looked frantic. He helped Ben up, looking worriedly at the door. Ben felt pain cut through his skin where Jackson had shot him. He lifted up his shirt, looking at the gunshot wound. It was bandaged, but that didn't stop it from hurting.

"Ben, we've got to go," the man said anxiously. "If you want to help Lisa, we have to go now."

Ben still felt suspicious. "If you want me to go anywhere," he said dangerously, "you have to tell me who you are."

The man sighed. "My name is Charles Rutherford," he said, his face filled with guilt and concern.

---

_Okay, bad news: My computer broke down, so the only time I can update is when I go to my grandparent's house. It sucks. I'm only there about an hour each day for three days, which means I can only update a story per day. Anyway, Charles Rutherford has jumped back into the picture! Yay! Although not yay, since Lisa's probably gonna give him a world full of hurt after what he did to her. Will update as soon as possible, hope you enjoyed it!_


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